Izzeldin Abuelaish: I Shall Not Hate

Palestinian doctor Izzeldin Abuelaish’s three daughters were killed by an Israeli rocket yet he vowed not to succumb to bitterness and hate, even as he poured out his grief live on an Israeli television program. He tells his incredible story in his book, “I Shall Not Hate”.

At this Sydney Writers Festival session, he’s speaking with magazine journalist David Leser.

Izzeldin Abuelaish is a Palestinian doctor and infertility expert who was born and raised in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. He trained in Egypt, London, Israel, Italy, Belgium and the US, and spent most of his working life working in Israel. Abuelaish worked as a researcher at the Gerner Institute at Sheba Hospital in Tel Aviv. He now lives with his remaining family in Toronto.

David Leser has been a journalist for 32 years, working as a feature writer in North America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. He has been nominated four times for the Walkley Award, winning it in 1999. He has won the Magazine Publishers Association award for feature writing three times. Since 2000 he has been writer-at-large for the ‘Australian Women’s Weekly’. He is the author of four books.

Comments (14)

HELEN :

06 Sep 2014 8:22:42am

If only there were more great men as Izzeldin Abuelaish: I Shall Not Hate in this world. How wonderful it would be. Thank God for such a forgiving and loving man; he humbles all of us and makes us want to do only good. God bless!

kezza :

04 Dec 2011 6:10:15pm

Thank you Izzeldin, thank you for your peace and tears, everyone needs to hear your powerful message and read your book - we need to create a revolution of awareness about "what creates a terrorist in a child". Thank you also for your focus on the mother and the child, which is powerful coming from a father. You are an exceptional human being. As a Christian I am praying to God and asking that this message will penetrate the hearts and minds of all people groups you speak to, God Bless you and all your family.

badoldlady :

04 Dec 2011 1:49:23pm

Dr Abuelaish was a marvellous speaker - such a golden opportunity, hearing his first-hand experiences of the Israel/Palestine situation. Shame the interviewer was crass, insensitive & second rate, with appalling timing. Perhaps (as he works for the Women's Weekly) he should stick to fashionistas & chefs in the future.

Shane Hughes :

22 Nov 2011 9:28:24pm

I have just caught the doctors story on a television program called shelf life and I am so glad I did. The story has touch me and reafirmed my beliefs and ideals as a human being in ways that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I am studying law at the moment and have pondered as to the direction I will endevour to take, I now know that I must be a voice for the voicless who ever they are and in my own way take up the fight and stand along side the doctor in a unified struggle for the common good. Which I believe is our basic human right of which we all deserve. May god be with you and your beatiful family.

When you are walking alone doctor..look behind as you are not alone...the crowd is growing..God. bless you.

susan :

Susan too :

28 Jul 2011 6:28:45pm

I was so impressed, inspired caught up in this Doctors speech. A wonderful man a real Human Being.Delivering babies as babies, human beings of our future etc. I have to find his book, asap Why is this Earth ruled by those who think WAR is the answer when Peace and Hope for 'our' futures. Deepest sympathy for his losses and Love and Care for him and his wonderful attitude. A Great Man.

ARRI :

Zidan Jwihan :

15 Aug 2012 6:52:21am

Abulaish's personal tragedy is a manifistation of the Palestian suffering because of the Israeli occupation and its harrowing ill practices against the Palestinians on a daily basis. Undaunted, Abulaish has courageously and faithfully accepted to deal with his ordeal not in revenge but in forgiving, but not forgetting. Moreover, his mission to establish an rganization in memory of his killed daughters is a reminder for all the peace loving nations worldwide to follow in his footsteps; building a better and secure future for all the people , especially the children of this tormented region, to look forward and not to look backward in taking firm and concrete actions, and to make sure that the senseless and tragic killing of his loved daughters should be the last episode of violence where innocent people are usually the first casualty of war. Finally, Abulaish's body language and sincere passion for a genuine peace speak volumes more fluently than any politician in our torn Middle East. to